Prodigal Ponderings — gratitufe RSS

This past weekend was The Prodigal Carpenter's first experience participating in a Festival or Artisan Fair.  For anyone who has undertaken one of these, we don't have to tell you the amount of hard work that goes into preparation, facilitating, and post event handling.  We learned a lot from our "initiation" into the outdoor market world.   1  Nothing replaces personal interaction with potential customers.  The feedback was invaluable.  It was affirming to have so many folks express admiration for the quality and craftsmanship of our products and admire what we do.   2. Know your Target Market.  Handcrafted items of high quality are not produced inexpensively They take time, craftsmanship and quality materials. Consequently they're not what everyone is looking...

My wife and I took a ride the other day to purchase a load of wood.  Our journey took us eastward through the "foothills" area of the north Georgia mountains.  Once past the multi-lane congestion of Atlanta, we wound our way through the picturesque countryside on the way to our destination. It was a beautiful early Fall day. The destination turned out to be a workshop full of some prime hardwood which was being sold in preparation for closing out the shop.  The owner, a very pleasant and industrious young man was preparing to pursue missionary work in Africa in a few months.  He patiently took the time to let us look through his wood supply and make our selections....